The Learning & Development Podcast

Serena Gonsalves-Fersch is conducting extensive research, as part of a doctorate, on the future of our profession.  In this episode, we explore Serena’s findings so far, how these findings map to Serena’s considerable experience and what the future of Learning & Development could mean for all of us. KEY TAKEAWAYS There are a remarkable number of opinions on what L&D should and could be doing. Howe...

Organisations have moved quicker than they could have ever predicted in light of the current crisis, and L&D teams within these organisations have had to do the same.  Sarah Allen and her team at AXA UK are an example of how quickly things changed, and how swiftly an L&D team needed to respond in order to meet changing needs. So what did that mean - and what will it mean from here on out? KEY TAKE...

The current crisis has changed plenty, some will last well beyond lockdown and some will pass. One thing for sure is that organisations will want to make up for missed opportunities, when restrictions are relaxed, and businesses will want to make up for lost revenue.  We can anticipate an unforgiving period in the short- to mid-term and L&D will be under greater scrutiny to make a significant cont...

As the world copes with the Coronavirus pandemic, L&D departments are adapting to lead with digital solutions, to engage a remote workforce and influence their working. In this episode, Alice talks about how she’s been leading with digital solutions, in her current and previous roles, and how she uses data, experimentation and a campaign approach to achieve real results. KEY TAKEAWAYS The new way...

It’s a strange and worrying time for us all at the moment and the role of L&D will need to adapt in response.  But will it be enough to send people to the online content we had before? Well, if it wasn’t before, how can it be the case now? Many of the changes we were beginning to see in our profession are likely to be required more quickly (data-driven decisions, performance-focused and user-centr...

The Learning and Development Podcast Live   It’s a strange and worrying time for us all at the moment and the role of L&D will need to adapt in response.  But will it be enough to send people to the online content we had before? Well, if it wasn’t before, how can it be the case now? Many of the changes we were beginning to see in our profession are likely to be required more quickly (data-driven d...

It’s not a case of ‘if’ but ‘when’ L&D fully jumps onboard with Data & Analytics. This is the view of Trish Uhl, who, in this episode, explores how data has already transformed organisations, industries and consumer expectations and why L&D can no longer wait until the hype has passed. L&D is late to the party but the good news is it’s not too late.  KEY TAKEAWAYS What few people in L&D really und...

‘To solve real problems requires challenge, and a change in mindset and skillset’ Is L&D really prone to solving problems that are only really problems for L&D and neglecting the real problems that our organisations and employees need addressing? In this episode, the topic is explored and examples given of where L&D are guilty and what we all need to do instead. In this episode, David is in conver...

In this fascinating episode packed with thought-provoking content David is in conversation with Guy Wallace, Performance Analyst and Instructional  Architect for Enterprise, Training and Development. With more than 40 years in the field of Learning & Development, Guy Wallace knows that focusing on performance and taking the time to analyse the performance context is essential for making meaningful...

Workflow Learning, Learning In The Flow of Work, or Learning at the Point Of Work? However we wish to call it, guidance and support at the moment they need it is a sure fire way of gaining engagement in L&D solutions and, more importantly, helping people do more of the right things in order to get results. In this episode, Conrad Gottfredson, a true pioneer in this field, shares his insights and e...

‘We are not always the best at learning in learning’  David is in conversation with James Poletyllo, Director of the Learning Effect, he has extensive experience in people development and champions the development of the profession and brings challenge to ineffective practice.  Is Learning and Development sleepwalking into extinction?  This is an uncomfortable question to be asking - let alone to...

Important Information About The Learning & Development Podcast This is a very short episode announcing that new episodes of The Learning & Development podcast will be released fortnightly for a while with the next episode being with you on Tuesday 21st of January.   ABOUT THE HOSTDavid James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talen...

“The field of play has evolved for L&D and now includes supporting a dynamic learning performance ecosystem. If the field of play changes, it implies we must evolve and adopt new rules of engagement.”  What Gary is referring to here is the the Point Of Work. In this episode, the point of topic is the Point Of Work, which is broader than workflow learning and an essential area of focus if we (L&D)...

Each week David has talked to guests about what lights them up in the world of people development across 31 episodes this year.  As a way of wrapping this up for2019 in this episode, he shares a summary of his learning so far and looks ahead to next year.  In 2020 truly understanding user-centricity, human-centred designed will be key and learning what this really is that will be important for eve...

"L&D is fast becoming more than just a support function, one that is a strategic partner to the effective operation of any business”: this is a phrase Jeremy McLellan uses in his LInkedIn bio and a great description of the value he brings to his employers.  In this episode, we talk about how Jeremy has evolved his own practice, how he has brought his organisations along with him and achieved real...

In this fascinating episode, David is in conversation with Haydn Bratt founder of MINDSET and a personal leadership coach. He works to change the ways people lead so people can express their brilliance in the workplace.  They discuss the changing face of leadership and the different drivers that impact on business today.  The old models of leadership are no longer achieving the results businesses...

More and more, forward-thinking organisations are exchanging traditional hierarchies for networks of empowered teams. These teams are more agile, connected by tech and may only be brought together for short amounts of time. In this podcast, we discuss the importance of measuring high performance in teams and what we need to do to develop them accordingly.     KEY TAKEAWAYS  There are now fusion te...

What is Resilience and Why is it such a Hot Topic? Interview with Dr Carole Pemberton, Resilience Expert and Developer of Coaches  There has been a generation who have seen themselves as helicopter parents, watching over their children,  but in reality, they are lawn mower parents, mowing out of the way any obstacles but resilience is the learning that you take from the things that go wrong when o...

In an article of the same name, Mike Bedford commentated on a revolution that he’s seeing - and experiencing - in the Learning & Development profession, and encourages us all to get involved.  In this episode, we discuss the revolution, which is a backlash against ineffective practice and maintaining the status quo. KEY TAKEAWAYS Revolution is about change. In terms of an L&D revolution we need to...

Andy Lancaster is Head Of Learning at CIPD and author of the book ‘Driving Performance Through Learning’, in which he charts a course for L&D that challenges traditional expectations and shows the way towards the future.  In this episode, we explore the drivers of this change and how L&D can - and should - adapt to meet the needs of the modern workforce. Please note, as a special offer to listener...

Performance Consulting is recognised as a key skill-set for the modern L&D professional who wants to make a difference in their organisation. In this episode, Nigel Harrison helps us to understand what Performance Consulting is and how it’s helping L&D to align to its organisation to achieve more.  KEY TAKEAWAYS  Performance Consulting is how you ask your client questions to uncover the apparent n...

Changes in the Retail landscape have meant that companies have had to adapt or collapse if they don’t meet the changing expectations of consumers. But a business can’t change if it’s people aren’t ready. In this episode, these changes are explored and Mike shares how River Island’s approach to L&D has had to adapt too.     KEY TAKEAWAYS  Challenges  Resale and in particular fashion is facing real...

Since it’s rise to prominence, e-Learning has promised so much and often failed to deliver. Is this the fault of the medium or the fault of L&D?  This episode explores the evolution of technology-enabled learning and what it will take for L&D to truly capitalise on the potential of digital. KEY TAKEAWAYS L&D has had a strange relationship with technology. It has been very difficult to get the aver...

How do we know what we do works? Well, Kevin M Yates has made this his mission. In this episode we talk about how expectations of L&D have grown and how we need to adapt in order to demonstrate our impact.  KEY TAKEAWAYS At a senior level in Learning & Development there seems to be a paranoia/anxiety that training isn’t getting results or equating to any kind of business performance, capability or...

Too often, L&D technology implementations promise so much and deliver so little. The word ‘transformation’ is used prior to launch but, due to lack of sustained engagement, driving traffic to justify the expenditure becomes the goal. In this episode of The Learning & Development Podcast, Lori and David talk about what it really takes to make large-scale, organisation-wide digital transformations s...